How to Update Kitchen Cabinets Doors with Decorative Molding

Your kitchen cabinet doors are one of the biggest giveaways that your kitchen cabinets are old and dated. Many people think that they will either have to reface or replace their kitchen cabinets in order to rectify this. Doing so, however, can cost thousands of dollars and take a great deal of time. If you were to simply add decorative molding to your kitchen cabinet doors, you can get the look of new cabinet doors, without the cost of replacing them. Here is how.

Select your molding

Head to your local home improvement store and pick up some decorative molding for your kitchen cabinet doors. If you are wanting a more formal look to your kitchen cabinets, try choosing a ornate molding that matches your taste. For a casual kitchen, a plain flat or slightly rounded molding will still add a great amount of interest. Just make sure to select a molding that has a flat bottom so it is easy to adhere to your kitchen cabinets.

Draw a Rectangle

Once you get home, draw a rectangle that is a few inches smaller on each side than your kitchen cabinet doors using a pencil. Make sure to use a ruler so that you get nice straight lines. This is where your decorative molding is going to be added. So if you do not like how it looks, simply erase the pencil markings and try again.

Measure

After you have the rectangle just the way you want it, measure each side of the rectangle and write down your measurements. Then, measure your molding and mark it to the length of one of your measurements. This is where you are going to be cutting so that it will create the perfect rectangle that you have drawn on your kitchen cabinet doors.

Cut

Now that you have marked where to cut your decorative molding, place one piece of molding in a miter box or on a miter saw. Find the 45 degree setting for either and cut the wood. If you are using a miter box, you will need to have a hand saw in order to cut your molding.

Glue and Tape

Once the pieces for one cabinet door have been cut, it is time to attach them onto your kitchen cabinet door. Using glue specifically designed for wood, apply glue to the flat back of your decorative molding. Then, carefully place that molding on one side of the rectangle you drew on your doors. Press down firmly and secure the piece of molding with tape. Continue doing this until all the pieces of molding are attached to the door in a perfect rectangle. Let the door sit like this for at least a day before you remove the tape and continue with the steps.

Match

After the glue has dried, it is time to make the molding match the rest of the cabinet. You can do this with either paint or stain depending on the finish on your cabinets. Simply find the color that will match your cabinets and paint or stain the molding the same color. Be careful not to drip on your countertops.

Once your paint or stain has dried, you are done. You can sit back and enjoy your updated kitchen cabinets, knowing that you saved money over replacing them. Now you can start doing other home improvement projects around the house with the thousands of dollars you saved.